dispatch 1 of 2

verb

di-ˈspach How to pronounce dispatch (audio)
Definition of dispatchnext
1
as in to send
to cause to go or be taken from one place to another dispatched a messenger with urgent news

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to kill
to deprive of life the exterminator dispatched the termites with professional efficiency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to assassinate
to put to death deliberately during his reign of terror the dictator dispatched thousands without the slightest qualm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to defeat
to achieve a victory over they dispatched the other team without breaking a sweat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dispatch

2 of 2

noun

di-ˈspach How to pronounce dispatch (audio)
1
as in letter
a message on paper from one person or group to another a soldier sending daily dispatches to friends and family back home

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in message
a piece of conveyed information a dispatch from headquarters regarding a change in battle plans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dispatch distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of dispatch are assassinate, execute, kill, murder, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When might assassinate be a better fit than dispatch?

While the synonyms assassinate and dispatch are close in meaning, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When could execute be used to replace dispatch?

The synonyms execute and dispatch are sometimes interchangeable, but execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Where would kill be a reasonable alternative to dispatch?

In some situations, the words kill and dispatch are roughly equivalent. However, kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

When is it sensible to use murder instead of dispatch?

The words murder and dispatch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When is slay a more appropriate choice than dispatch?

The meanings of slay and dispatch largely overlap; however, slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dispatch
Verb
After dispatching West Virginia on Sunday, No. 10 TCU is just two games from adding another historic accomplishment to its resume this season. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2025 European leaders also were dismayed by Trump’s decision to dispatch top aides for preliminary talks with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia without Ukrainian or European officials at the table. —Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
California death In California, CBS Sacramento reports, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said its dispatch center received a call late Monday afternoon regarding a missing backcountry skier near Powderhouse Peak. —CBS News, 19 Feb. 2025 Two people were stranded and self-rescued from a glacier chunk that fell onto the ice in Portage Lake, Alaska, on Monday, Feb. 10, according to a Girdwood Fire and Rescue statement and an Alaska State Troopers' dispatch report. —Charna Flam, People.com, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dispatch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispatch
  1. send
  2. kill
  3. assassinate
  4. defeat
  5. letter
  6. message
  7. destroy
  8. murder
Verb
  • The Absurdity Factor Somewhere right now, a billion-dollar health system is still relying on a fax machine to send patient records.
    — Jeffrey Wessler, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • John McCormick, who ran DSS’s audit division during that time, sent an email to Gifford on May 12, 2020, explaining how Zervas would voluntarily repay nearly $600,000 to the state Medicaid program and in return McCormick’s team would discard the audit.
    — Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of send
Verb
  • But as the pandemic progressed, killing hundreds of thousands of people around the world, Cuomo’s response also faced intense scrutiny over a controversial directive to transfer recovering Covid-19 patients back to nursing homes.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Investigators were not sure about the relationship with the boy who was killed.
    — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025
Definition of kill
Verb
  • Trent, who once attempted to assassinate Bradford back upstairs on earth, finally finds confirmation that Bradford and his administration have lied about the lack of survivors on earth.
    — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Despite Sidao’s removal from power in 1275 (he was assassinated), the Mongols continued their successful military campaigns, culminating in the collapse of the Southern Song dynasty in 1279.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Definition of assassinate
Verb
  • In the bantamweight main event, Song Yadong defeated former two-division champion Henry Cejudo via technical decision after an eye poke left Cejudo unable to continue.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The Cardinals defeated the Washington Nationals in Tuesday's exhibition in Palm Beach, Florida.
    — Chantz Martin, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of defeat
Noun
  • Bondi suggested Thursday in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that more records had recently been discovered.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The state Health Department reviewed the results from earlier tests ordered by the Energy Department and recommended more testing in a July letter.
    — Doug Thompson, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of letter
Noun
  • In some instances, FasTrak is misspelled as FastTrack, a clear sign that the message originated from a scammer.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The emails are part of a strategy to have agencies account for their employees' work each week and report it back to the government's human resources agency, though no decision has been made about whether the messages will go out weekly, the sources said.
    — Kristin Brown, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2025
Definition of message
Verb
  • Lost in a sea of ash: When wildfire destroys a home — and a loved one’s urn — the search begins.
    — Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025
  • This is a major U-turn from Riot, after completely revamping the rewards system at the start of the year and being destroyed by fans for it.
    — Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • However, Sam is murdered by Carl Brunner (Goldwyn), leaving him to returns as a ghost, who is unable to communicate with Molly.
    — Michelle Lee, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Riley, 22, was murdered by an undocumented immigrant.
    — Nik Popli, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of murder

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Cite this Entry

“Dispatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispatch. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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